Fitness PR Division

If you have ever been one to make that New Year’s resolution to lose weight and head right over to your local gym on January 2nd (or really any time of the year), you may know about the steps a good gym puts into place to customize your workout to achieve maximum results. Now there is an improvement on this customization called Functional Fitness to tailor make a fitness program specifically designed to help you incorporate it into your life, whether it is at the gym or a Saturday at home.

A while back I had joined Bally’s Total Fitness and a personal trainer went over my fitness and weight loss goals with me and designed a plan that I would follow each time I came in to work out; 2 miles around the track, 12 shoulder press repetitions, 12 leg curl repetitions and so on. While the program helped me focus on what I needed to do at each workout once I walked through the door, it certainly was difficult to apply on the days I was not in the gym. This is where Functional Fitness steps in and has made the individualized fitness program even better.

Hsien-Hsien Lei has her BA from Stanford University in Human Biology and her PhD. From Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Epidemiology. She’s been involved in the scientific community since high school and her area of expertise is in the genetic epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, including diabetes and kidney disease. She is also a Blogger for b5media writing GeneticsAndHealth.com and AHeartyLife.com, as well as being the Channel Editor for all of b5’s Science and Health and Family and Relationships blogs.

Hsien-Hsien Lei’s two blogs have been mentioned quite a bit lately in the press. Just this week alone The LA Times featured her blog AHeartyLife.com, GeneticsAndHealth.com was mentioned at the California Healthcare Foundation's iHealthBeat, and the Detroit Free Press and Duke GenomeLIFE magazine spoke about her work as a science and health blogger. Forbes has Genetics and Health listed as “Best of the Web” and FOX News touts her among the top ten best health blogs.

One would think all of the above would not only tell you that when Ms. Lei talks about science and health, she certainly has the educational background and validation from various publications to flaunt that she knows what she is talking about. So when she recently applied to EurekAlert, an online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society, she was dumbfounded that her application was denied. Their website states that, “Qualified reporters and freelancers can access embargoed and breaking news, peer-reviewed journals, experts and other valuable resources through EurekAlert.” After being denied, Ms. Lei emailed asking them to reconsider and was told that EurekAlert did not recognize Bloggers as legitimate journalists and that their decision would remain. As I mentioned in a previous post, it is unfortunate when an online media service discriminates against Blogging, especially when the Blogger is a well-respected medical professional. I decided to take this as an opportunity to interview Ms. Lei and get to know more about her.

Why did you want to join EurekAlert and what did you feel the value would be?
I actually did it as sort of a lark. I was on their site and thought it was really informational and useful. As part of my everyday science and health blogging, I read a tremendous amount of poorly written press releases and it usually takes me a good deal of research to flesh them out. I thought if I could gain access to the registered user section, I could get embargoed press releases early and prepare my posts for publication on my blogs, GeneticsAndHealth.com and AHeartyLife.com, ASAP. Also, their registration form states that there's other information available to registered reporters and editors and I thought that might be useful for me to accomplish my goal of effective science communication.

What does the content of your blogs focus on? Is it from your own research, press releases, medical publications or a combination?
My blog is about the impact genetics, genes, and DNA has on our everyday lives. I am convinced (barring World War III) that the genome revolution is the biggest influence we will experience in the 21st century and I'm working to educate people on how to take advantage of it for improving their health and lifestyle. And, of course, DNA is just plain fascinating and I hope to share my enthusiasm for science and genetics. We could never have too many scientists!

Do you feel that the medical field itself sees value in Blogging?
Many doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals blog and it has been a tremendous resource for sharing information and opinion. (See Detroit Free Press article for more.) Of course, Blogging is still not at the point where the majority of people actively participate, but my guess is that most read one or more blogs on a regular basis. Blogs are wonderful because they humanize science and health.

From PRWeb: Today, SPORTSMITH, the nation’s largest supplier of fitness equipment parts and personal training products, announced the addition of Rubber Coated Kettlebells to their product line up for the 2007 spring fitness season. Kettlebells and Kettlebell Training have a long and rich international history beginning in Russia. In the early 1900’s Kettlebells became the training tool of choice for early bodybuilders and strongmen. Now Kettlebell competitions are becoming a major sport throughout the world as the popularity of Kettlebells and Kettlebell Training increases.

SPORTSMITH Kettlebells are the ultimate tool for all-around fitness and cross-training benefits. Kettlebell workouts increase strength, endurance, agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total body movements.

"Our goal is to help the health and fitness industries grow and retain their customers by continually looking for the products that help health and fitness clubs grow and retain their customer base by stocking the latest products health and fitness club members need to reach their fitness goals.” Brad Schupp, SPORTSMITH President.

SPORTSMITH Kettlebells are encased in a solid rubber coating to help improve the users grip and help protect fitness facility floors. The kettlebells are extremely durable and available in weights of 8kg/17.6lb, 12kg/26.4lb, 16kg/35.2lb, 20kg/44lb, 24kg/52.8lb, 28kg/61.6lb, 32kg/70.4lb and 40kg/88lb. Traditional non rubber coated Russian Kettlebells are known for ruff ridges on the under side of the grip, resulting in the users hand becoming ruff or callused.

The SPORTSMITH kettlebells are available for order now via the SPORTSMITH website. Visit www.sportsmith.net for more information.

We all lead busy lives and time going to a weight loss meeting could easily be time spent at the gym. Convenience is a hot commodity and with obesity on the rise, more people looking to lose weight and implement a fitness program around their lifestyle are turning to the internet for support and inspiration, and these online programs are capturing the attention of a determined market.

Many states are beginning their own diet and fitness programs and featuring them online for residents to participate in such as INShape Indiana’s 10 in 10 Challenge. Where I live, Blue Cross of Northeastern PA has collaborated with local television affiliates WBRE (NBC) and WYOU (CBS) to create a program called, “The Million Pound Meltdown.” Residents sign up online and follow tips for better eating and fitness habits. By committing to the program, you feel you are part of a collaborative effort to reach the goal of one million pounds lost in the region. The goal is to make you feel like a team player and keep you on track with a diet and fitness plan that is right for you.

Other online programs include Weight Watchers online, e-diets, Changing Shape, Fitness Online and even The Biggest Loser based on the television series. My girlfriend and her husband chose to commit to Weight Watchers online and implemented a fitness routine that included jogging and swimming laps. In 10 months time her husband lost 110 pounds and she lost her goal of 30 pounds. Now that she feels healthy and physically fit, she is training to run a Triathalon this June in Philadelphia through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.

Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health, but did you know that it is also beneficial to your memory and functions of the brain, as well? A recent study done at Columbia University Medical Center in New York first did the research on how exercise affects brain function in mice and then compared it to a sampling of 11 research participants that revealed the results to be the same.

As we age, cells within our brains die off, but the research done on the mice and human participants found that each time a person exercised it stimulated new cell growth in the areas of the brain that are affected by memory and memory loss. Another benefit was the increased blood flow thus delivering more oxygen to the brain.

While this is only one study done on 11 people, it proves intriguing that the brain function of mice after exercise was mimicked by the human participants showing that there are many more health benefits than we realize than just keeping physically fit with exercise.

You can read the full report of this study on CNN Health.

Many people not only struggle to lose weight but also have trouble when trying to quit smoking. Fortunately, a single drug called Acomplia could solve both problems.

There’s a long list of foods that bodybuilders and other athletes try to avoid. Among these are fast foods, fattening snacks, and sugary drinks as long-term or excessive consumption of these kinds of foods can leave a person overweight and forced to deal with multiple health problems. But eating stuff like this is often a nasty habit that some athletes just can’t seem to shake no matter how hard they try.

An even nastier habit that athletes can fall into is smoking which might be even more detrimental to one’s physical goals. Smoking leads to increased blood pressure and heart rate as well as various lung diseases and none of this adds up to bettering one’s body. Obviously, the combination of fatty foods and smoking equals a decrease in one’s athletic performance.

So athletes and people alike often need to turn to various drugs to curb the disastrous effects that such habits can create. Unfortunately, this usually means that they have to take both a dieting drug and a smoking cessation drug separately in order to fulfill both needs. But imagine if there was a drug that could satisfy the two demands. No longer would people be required to take multiple medications in order to keep their weight down and their nicotine cravings in check.

Looking frumpy going to the gym can no longer be an excuse as more and more fitness gear comes out on the market that is more in fashion than the typical monotone shorts and t-shirt look of the past. I know that my clothes are a statement about me and if I look good I feel good, the same can be said to motivate us while working out.

If you are looking for fitness gear with a celebrity flare, Bebe Sport (whose spokesmodel is Eva Longoria) and the Hearts Rbx collection, designed by Scarlett Johansson, are a good place to start. The Bebe Sport Collection not only looks extremely fashionable, but functionality is not lost or compromised because of it. Bebe’s fitness gear has the technology to wick away moisture, retain its fit after multiple washings and provides maximum mobility for better performance during your workout. The Hearts Rbx collection provides fashion combined with comfort and a twist on clothing that can also be worn as dress down wear. Hearts Rbx wouldn’t be complete without its retro Reebok running shoes.

Adidas has the ultra hip Stella McCartney line. With McCartney’s flawless design history and the fact that she is a woman designing fitness gear for women makes me confident that she understands how our bodies move while working out and how clothes need to fit just right in order to make for a comfortable workout. Of course, being the uber cool fashion designer that she is, her Adidas line is nothing short of gorgeous.

The David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition began in 1982, when the Ranger Training Department designed a "Ranger Olympics" to identify the best two-man team in the Army. Over the years it has expanded to include members from other services such as the Marines and occasionally members from foreign military units. Best Ranger Competition is the original Amazing Race and Survivor where teams definitely have to “Out Last” each other in this grueling fitness and skill competition.

In 1986 my husband, an Army Ranger, competed in this competition and is still something he watches religiously on The Military Channel, however in the past it could be seen on ESPN and The Outdoor Life Network. The conditioning of the men who compete in this competition is compared to that of world-class athletes. Besides testing the participant’s military skills, it also tests endurance, strength and mental fortitude. The competition is done over 60 hours, day and night, of non-stop events where the participants get little rest or food.

Best Ranger Competition involves running, swimming, push-ups, pull-ups and navigating grueling obstacle courses among many other events that you often find in the Iron Man competition. The intensity and duration of the event sequences pushes even the most elite Special Operations troops, who are at the peak of physical fitness, to the point of physical exhaustion. One such event, that is also a crowd favorite, is the Helo Cast. The Helo Cast involves jumping from a helicopter over water in full uniform and with all of your equipment keeping it afloat and swimming to shore, which is immediately followed up by the next event.